Farming of Lincolnshire. 



307 



In the summer months these floods, of course, subsided. The 

 condition of the surface at the present time may be judged from 

 the facts ah'eady advanced : it is comparatively well drained and 

 fruitful ; and stagnant inundations with their pestiferous vapours 

 are unknown. 



The fens, east of the Witham, extending between Boston and 

 the high lands of Tattershall, Revesby, &c., are termed the 

 Fourth District. Wildmore Fen (next the river), and a greater 

 part of the adjoining West Fen^ drained by Anthony's Gout, about 

 2J miles above Boston, into the Witham ; but the water in the 

 river was often as high as the land itself, and instead of draining 

 the fens kept their sluice-door penned up for weeks together.* 



* The principal drains were those cut by the adventurers who drained these fens in 

 the reign of Charles I. A slight sketch of that transaction is here added, because it 

 explains the general tumults of the Commoners when enclosures have been proposed, 

 and accounts for the popular opposition to the drainage of fens. The King of his 

 princely care for the advantage of the kingdom,'" by letters to the respective Commis- 

 sioners of Sewers recommended the draining of these lands, himself being the owner of 

 great quantities of the drowned lands. Accordingly these authorities (appointed by the 

 Crown) taxed the country in order to provide a fund for the_'undertaking ; but no paj^- 

 ment being made, they contracted with Sir Anthony Thomas for the execution of the 

 work. In four years he was to drain the district, estimated at 45,000 acres, so as not 

 to leave more than 3000 acres under water ; and was to receive a proportion of the 

 recovered ground as his reward. Thus, without the consent of the proprietors of 

 the soil, and the compensation of those numerous individuals owning rights of 

 commonage, the King took .away a large portion of their property as a recom- 

 pense for the drainage of the rest. Sir Anthony accomplished the work sufBciently to 

 procure his allotment, and the remainder was allotted partly to the King, and partly 

 to the towns which had interest of common. In 1642 the commoners, dissatisfied 

 with these proceedings, yet having no legal and constitutional means of expressing their 

 discontent, took arms, broke the adventurers' sluices, laid waste their lands, filled up 

 their ditches, spoiled their corn, and demolished their houses. A complaint was made 

 to the House of Lords, who passed a bill for the relief and security of the drainers, 

 " because of the advantage accruing to the King by the improvement of his lands from 

 Ad. per acre to 10s. and 12s. per acre yearly," and for repaying 50,000/. expended by 

 the undertakers. The Commissioners had otjeyed the wish of the monarch in opposi- 

 tion to the inhabitants of no less than fifty-two towns and villages, or 4000 families, 

 having right of pasture and turbary in these fens ; who now petitioned the House of 

 Commons against the bill. They stated that by means of many chargeable gouts, 

 drains, bridges, and other works of sewers, they had kept these fens fruitful and pro- 

 fitable ground so as to be the chiefest part of their livelihood ; and that they were 

 never " pestered with beggars and thieves"' (as had been aflSrmed by the drainers) 

 more than in the time of their undertaking. That only East Fen had been hurtfully 

 overflowed, the West and Wildmore fens being then worth 10s. to 15s. per acre yearly. 

 That the aim of Sir A. Thomas and his participants was to make prize of those lands, 

 and that he had appropriated to himself the ancient drains, clows, sluices, &c. of the 

 inhabitants, without making satisfaction for them. That the drainers had wrongfully 

 taken away 8000Z. /)er a?z;?«m from the commoners, under pretence of raising 150Z. 

 yearly fee-farm rent for his Majesty's use. That the West and Wildmore fens were 

 not in any way meliorated by the new works, but worse than they were before the 

 undertaking; and that " equity of disbursements" need not be considered, for the 

 profits of the parts the drainers had enjoyed seven years were (as themselves con- 

 fessed) 57,000/., which was more than they pretended to have laid out in the works, 

 and many thousand pounds more than was actually expended. The commoners 

 gained their suit, and retained possession of their ancient privileges. The state of these 

 fens prior to the late drainage justifies the petitioners in their assertion that the country 

 had not received an advantage proportional to the quantity of land taken away. 



X 2 



